Key Points:
- Senior-Level Meeting: PMI Chief Global Research & Development Officer Michele Cattoni met STMA Deputy Director Liu Sanjiang in Beijing on Aug. 27.
- PMI R&D Leadership: Cattoni has held senior roles in PMI’s heated tobacco and smoke-free product development and became Chief Global Research & Development Officer in January 2026.
- China Market Preparations: China is advancing mandatory national standards for heated cigarettes and nicotine pouches as part of preparations for their domestic introduction.
- Global Market Significance: The domestic introduction of heated cigarettes and nicotine pouches in China would create new growth opportunities for China Tobacco and raise the prospect of future participation by international tobacco companies.
2Firsts
SHENZHEN, Aug. 27, 2026
Philip Morris International’s global research and development chief traveled to Beijing and met a senior Chinese tobacco regulator on Aug. 27, as China advances mandatory standards for heated cigarettes and nicotine pouches, laying regulatory groundwork for their domestic introduction.
Liu Sanjiang, a member of the Party leadership group and deputy director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA), met Michele Cattoni, Chief Global Research & Development Officer at Philip Morris International (PMI), and his delegation, according to Oriental Tobacco News, an official publication of China’s state tobacco system.
The two sides held talks, the report said. Officials from the STMA’s Office, which also serves as its Foreign Affairs Department, its Department of Science and Technology, the China Tobacco Society and other relevant units attended the meeting. The report did not disclose details of the discussions.
Cattoni Has Held Senior Roles in PMI’s Heated Tobacco Development
According to PMI’s website, Cattoni became Chief Global Research & Development Officer in January 2026, after serving as Senior Vice President, Research & Development from February 2025.
He previously served as Senior Vice President, Innovation, where he led the development of PMI’s next-generation heat-not-burn products and portfolio pipeline. Cattoni was appointed Vice President of Heat-Not-Burn Platforms in 2020, after holding senior roles in technology, operations and engineering related to the company’s smoke-free products.
Cattoni joined PMI as a design engineer in 1991 and has spent more than three decades with the company.
China Moves Ahead With Heated Cigarette Standards
The visit comes as China’s state tobacco system moves ahead with preparations for the domestic introduction of heated cigarettes and nicotine pouches, beginning with mandatory national product standards.
In April, China launched mandatory national standards projects for both categories. The projects were proposed by the STMA and are intended to establish technical requirements for their regulation. 2Firsts reported at the time that the standards process was an important step in building the regulatory framework for future domestic market entry.
On July 28, the STMA released a full draft mandatory national standard for heated cigarettes for public consultation, with comments due by Sept. 26. The draft covers electrically heated cigarettes and treats tobacco sticks and heating devices as parts of the same product system.
The proposal covers systems in which the heating element is located in the device as well as those in which it is embedded in the tobacco stick. 2Firsts reported in July that the latter category could include induction-based systems similar in principle to the technology used in PMI’s IQOS ILUMA platform. The draft does not specify a preferred heating technology.
China Tobacco has already developed and marketed heated tobacco and nicotine pouch products in overseas markets, while neither category has yet been commercially introduced into its domestic market. China has regulated e-cigarettes under its tobacco monopoly framework since 2022.
China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of tobacco. The domestic introduction of heated cigarettes and nicotine pouches would be a significant development for the global tobacco industry, creating new growth opportunities for China Tobacco and raising the prospect of future participation in the market by international tobacco companies.
2Firsts will continue to follow developments in China’s heated tobacco and nicotine market.
Cover image generated by AI.
On Sept. 16, 2026, during InterTabac, 2Firsts will host a dedicated forum to share the latest developments in China’s tobacco and nicotine market. Seats are limited. To reserve a place, please contact alan@2firsts.com.
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